Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Schooling through the Um El Faroud Wreck

A school of Yellowmouth Barracuda moves through the structure of the Um El Faroud wreck in Malta, surrounded by other reef fish and marine growth.

The Yellowmouth Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis) has a long, slender and streamlined body with a pointed head, elongated mouth and prominent lower jaw armed with sharp canine-like teeth. Its upper body is generally dark bluish-grey to greenish, becoming paler below, and is marked by numerous conspicuous dark vertical bars that extend below the lateral line on the forward part of the flanks. The two dorsal fins are widely separated and the deeply forked tail provides powerful propulsion for rapid swimming. Yellowmouth Barracuda are pelagic predators that feed mainly on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans. They may occur alone or gather in schools around reefs, drop-offs and underwater structures. The species can reach about 128 centimetres in length and occurs from the surface to around 100 metres depth. This photograph captures a school moving directly through the structure of the Um El Faroud wreck in Malta, where the artificial reef provides habitat for a diverse community of marine life.